Persona 3: Unmei no Asobi
by Julianne Gamhard
Summary: Beginning of Arc-1. You are near it. You were near that time. If you turn back by all means, won't you do it?
1. Tsumi: Fragment 1

_Author's note:_

_It appears that the changes aren't accomplished. It's all different from what I tell in the note. Hmm, well, this idea came out when I read a sound novel by the 07__th__ Expansion, at the scene where six people being sacrificed for a witch. A cool scene though._

_This prologue is actually one of the scenes from the chapters….Just like the beginning of 'The Answer'. Please enjoy._

_ 19th July, Happy Birthday to me!!!! YA~Y!!!!_

**XxXxXxXx**

_Thursday, 13 February 2013 _

_05.45. P.M _

_Countless droplets of water slowly fall to the earth. At the same time, a crispy voice of thunder resonated in the dark sky of the Tatsumi Island. _

_Minato Arisato stands in front of a box-shaped room, the two of his arms extended as if he hiding something to that group of people. From his terrified expression and body language, is easy to know that something unpleasant happened. _

"_Don't come here! Return to the dorm!" He exclaimed. _

_Curiosity sparks from Katsumi Hideo, a sixteen-year old female teenager. Could it be, her worst feeling about her older brother came true? _

"_Minato-san, what are you trying so hard to hide?!" Hiroki Isamu, a tall man standing with Hajime Kei, stares him with a curious look. _

"_I SAID DON'T LOOK!" He screamed louder with trembling voice, his tears flowing between the rains which have dampen his face. "THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU CHILDREN!!" _

"_B-but…"She felt her heart was stopped rattling, as she sees behind Minato's tall body, a similar body with a policeman uniform lying lifelessly. "That body…That outfits….It belongs to Akio nii-san!" She pushes her senior's body forcedly. _

"_HIDEO-SAAAAAN!!!! "_

_But however, her broken mental will not be repaired easily, as her easiness of trespassing Minato. _

_She squeaked fearfully as she falls to her knees by herself. _

"_KYAAAAA!!!!! No!! NOOO!!!!"_

_Yukari Takeba and Aigis, whom quickly arrived at the scene before Aya Daiki, runs over the terrified girl and quickly grabbed over her shoulder to calm her down. _

"_Katsumi, what's wrong?" _

"_No way…..Akihiko-san….Onii-san…..They're…."She said with a trembled voice. _

"_Akihiko…san? What...."Curious, Yukari Takeba looked below. _

_Countless red color spreads all over the room just like a canvas. Meanwhile, six bodies of human were lying, not breathing, and-_

_They…Almost have no faces?!_

_Seeing the unpleasant and odd surroundings in her brown eyes, Yukari Takeba gasped. She wants to scream even louder than Katsumi, but her tongue feels dumb. Her throat was just felt like chocked by an assailant. _

"_I-It can't be…Akihiko-san…Ken-san…." Aigis, a blonde-haired android whom huddled beside Yukari Takeba, stares at her partners' lifeless, tragic body. She does not believe that this would happen. _

_And maybe….This is her _first time she feels a real pain.

_If you would say so, maybe Minato Arisato feels the same way. This is the _first time_ you can see him _crying.

**XxXxXxX **

That grizzled morning, where I saw my friends' life had been taken directly in my eyes.

Mercilessly…

Those animals ripped their face just like a pomegranate fruit….Not human.

Akihiko-san....

Ken…..

…And even you, Ryoji?

I know, when you reveal your true identity as Death, I would always say in the depth of my heart that you would go to hell.

But you weren't such an imbecile whom deserves such punishment.

Who and what is their reason to kill all of my friends?

As soon as I get the clue, I'm sure that you can be resurrected.

Anything is possible. Just wait for me.

* * *

INFORMATION:

The names of character is changed. So, for all of you, I'll explain whose name is changed;

Katsumi Hideo: Eve Saki

Hiroki Isamu: Tomo Mizuki

Hajime Kei: Akira Houjyou

Ok? Hope you like it!


	2. Majo Kara no Tegami: Invitation

Chapter 2: Majo Kara no Tegami _lit. _The Letter From A Witch

_February the 13__th__, 2013, early morning…._

_A mass murder incident has occurred in Iwatodai station. Five corpses had been found lying in a dorm near Iwatodai station. The victims' face had been smashed by a seemingly powerful gun or an sharp object. _

_Policeman Akio Hideo and Akihiko Sanada are both involved in this incident as the victim. Sanada's face had been found smashed to half, while Hideo's face is entirely broke. Officer Akio Hideo had left two of his younger sisters. _

_Since the police cannot find the culprit, they closed the case no longer after the day they discovered the corpse. _

_Now, if you were about to solve the case, who will you accuse? _

_The mysterious character,_

_Or the clearly innocent character?_

* * *

_One month before the incident._

The sun reaches the window as Yukari Takeba opened her eyes. She felt slightly dazzled by the light, but she forced herself to wake up.

"Yukari-san, good morning. Please get yourself ready, or else we'll be late."

A blonde-haired android said, Aigis. A roommate of Yukari, she is responsible for doing all the chores inside.

"Oh, good morning Aigis. Sorry that I overslept…" Yukari replied with a soft voice. Her feet slowly crawled to the bottom of the bed, as she proceeds to go to the bathroom. She then takes her pink clothes to change her pajamas.

"Did Mitsuru-senpai have called you?" She said as she took her bag. "You said that we'll be late."

"…Not yet, but it will be nice if we go to see him first." Aigis smiled.

Yukari nodded. "Yeah, maybe you can say your gratitude to him…"

Nodded in agreement, Aigis began to rewind the moments she desperately fought in search of him, as the bitter times coming…. Only him who can erase the pain. As soon as she knows that he sacrifices himself, she feels guilty. She feels guilty for feeling guilty for his death.

Yet, that time does not come anymore for her, and she just have to continue her life….

-------------

Yukari standing in a grave with a kanji wrote 'Minato Arisato' on it. She stared at the grave sadly for some time. She kneels to her feet and began to pray to her beloved alongside Aigis.

As she finished praying, she heard some footsteps knocking behind her.

"Good morning." Aigis smiled to the people behind Yukari.

A group of people that Yukari clearly know smiling at her cheerfully. They have always helped her when she had trouble, and are never keeping their bonds break. The club members.

"Sorry that we are late, Yukari, Aigis," Mitsuru Kirijo said. "It seems that we are the one who should be late."

"Ah, Mitsuru-san, everyone…It's always a pleasure to meet you all. Even if you're late, I comprehend." Aigis said to Mitsuru.

"Aigis, you haven't changed at all." Fuuka Yamagishi said with a smile, "Yukari-chan, you've gotten a little bit mature, didn't you?"

The brown-haired woman chuckled. "You've said that to me twice, you know. Still, I don't realize that change. It seems that all of us are changed except me. Yeah Junpei, how is it going in Inaba? Nice? You know, I haven't seen you in two years, it seems you've gotten a little smarter now."

"It's nice as ever!" Junpei Iori replied. "The people there are nice, except it's often raining at midnight…."

"Speaking about which, Akihiko, how is it going on Ayanagi?" Mitsuru spoke to a handsome gray-haired man besides her.

"Same as Junpei, maybe….But still, I had so many works to do, so tiring." Akihiko Sanada smirked.

"Akihiko-san must be a though guy, he became a policeman now."

Ken Amada, the youngest man among them all said.

"Ken-san, you've gotten taller. How are you?" Aigis turned to Ken Amada, "I'm fine! Thank you for admitting me that I'm taller." He smiles proudly, followed by Junpei's chuckle. "You must be drinking lotsa milk, don't you?! Nice move, Ken!" He teases him, but replied with a small punch on his stomach.

"Now, now. " Mitsuru interrupted, "Let's finish the chat; our destination to here is not for that, am I right?" She took her flower bouquet and placed it on the grave, and pray, followed by Aigis, Akihiko, Ken, Junpei, and Fuuka. Except for Yukari, and the white canine besides her.

"Wait, who placed this chrysanthemums bouquet here?" When it is Fuuka's turn, she informed.

"Eh, it's not me! " Yukari noticed the flower and walked over to see, "And what is this letter?" She grab a letter with a butterfly-shaped wax on the middle.

"Maybe it's his relatives? Don't get suspicious quickly, Yukari." Akihiko said.

"Maybe you're right, but….Does a normal people ever had a cousin named '_Beatrice the Game Leader_'? " Junpei said sarcastically, feels bizarre to the name.

"Maybe we can open it? If we're done, we can close it again," Mitsuru said ignorantly as always.

After thinking about it again, Yukari slowly reveals the paper and began to read it in front of her friends,

_For all of you the chosen Persona possessor, _

_I'd like to congratulate you for your victory of defeating Lady Nyx and Lord Erebus, the leaders of The Fall. The later game had been finished clearly with your help. _

_Regarding this fact, I am willing to tell you that you must prepare with your new gameboard. _

_The difficulty level is bittersweet. There is a hard and easy times. Nevertheless, prepare with the obstacles you had to confront. _

_You, who had been in the two previous games, shall not follow and better ignore it before it is too late. _

_However, the previous protagonists and their assistants shall follow the game and proceed. In addition, my mistress Philotes shall choose the new destiny to assist all of you. _

_Do not worry, you will be fighting Lady Nyx no more; the antagonists shall be new. _

_Please get yourself ready._

"Games…? What is that supposed to be?" Junpei spoke, "Did she means that The Fall and The Abyss of Time are all games and bullshits?!" He blows into anger, his fists clenched.

"Iori, calm down; Yukari's about to read the next letter." Mitsuru signed.

_Philotes Oku-sama had told me, as her assister, to give you this message. She, as the chief who assists you shall tell you the name of the chosen people who is involved with the game; _

_She had said that she chose these people;_

_Hiromi Katsura,_

_Katsumi Hideo, _

_Aya Daiki, _

_Hotaru Kameyo, _

_Hiroki Isamu, _

_Hajime Kei, _

_Isao Junichi, _

_In addition, the previous game player, _

_Aigis, _

_Yukari Takeba, _

_And the beloved wise man whom are you waiting for. Oku-sama had thought that you know who he is. _

_That is all I can tell you today. Please make your preparations. _

_See you in the game; I hope you are safe from those coming obstacles. _

_The Assister,_

_Beatrice, the Witch of Rebirth_

"What-what does she mean she chooses Yukari-chan and Aigis?" Fuuka asked curiously, as she finishes reading the letter. "Why did she know us and Nyx? She even called her 'Lady'….As if she had some kind of connections to her…"

"This is getting odd now…." Ken spoke. "Is she saying that she'll make us fight again? I don't want that happens…"

"That lady wrote 'new gameboard' in the letter, right? That means she and her mistress will make the Dark Hour appeared again?!" Akihiko said curiously that he holds his fist tight.

"Now, Akihiko. Do not get so emotional. Maybe this is just a childish prank that someone made off to fool us. "Reminded Mitsuru.

"However, Mitsuru-san." Aigis eyed at the redhead, "How could possibly true that a regular human know about Nyx, Dark Hour and Abyss of Time? That is not an absolute truth."

"I see….Aigis, you've got a point. "Mitsuru sighed wryly.

As her friends, continue debating, Yukari still looking at the paper skeptically. If Beatrice, the sender, really says it as rightful truth, she had never allowed it to be true. She had been trying so hard, and her hardwork, her dream, cannot be destroyed by anyone. It's already a solid stone.

For easing her uneasiness, she went to rip the paper, but her hearts said do not rip. Defeated, she only takes the letter out of her sights.

"Yukari, we can discuss this tomorrow, "Mitsuru finally spoke to her. "Nevertheless, we cannot regard this as a normal prank; the sender knows about Nyx. If tonight Dark Hour is approaching, then she is right. "Mitsuru informed as she walked away, followed by the others.

Aigis stared at the sad-looking brown-haired woman behind her, squeezing the paper.

"Yukari-san, let's go."

As they walked seven steps away from the grave, the tomb's text had gone, unknown to them….

And, as if replaced, a blue-haired man stands in the grave, smiling.

_Yukari, I'm coming._


	3. Retrospect: Arc 1 Beginning

Arc-1: Kimi ga Tame

Chapter 1: Retrospect

Author's note: I take the chapter's name from Ali Project's song title...So please forgive me, nano desu!

OoOoOoOo

_With an absolute theory of her won mind, sharpening her eyes, focusing at the man she clearly stated a clever and direct principal;_

"_Yesterday, you hurried and said that you have some 'matters' to do in Tartarus and you didn't come back until the dark hour finishes. It does make sense that you going to the farthest floor, but what happened with the fingerprints on the shotgun?" _

_The man gasped. He stopped pulling the trigger of the brown, cold metal that almost killed the female 'detective'._

_Trembling and freezing, he could not open his mouth as if sewed. Her theory is just right; there is no reason of debating it back. He stopped clutching the gun, as his hands gone limp of his shock. _

"_YOU are the culprit." _

OoOoOoOo

Sunday, 7th January 2013

At the next day, the sun rises dazzlingly again. Yukari quickly stood from her bed, seemingly thinking, and sighed in relief.

Last night, the dark hour did not occur. Therefore, indeed, it was a lie after all. The sender must be joking about it.

Beside that, today is Sunday. She is free from the tiring works. With a happy feeling, she started to walk to the bathroom, yet as she takes her towel; Yukari notices a letter lying before her. Curious and slightly uneasy she lifts the paper and began to read it.

_Greetings; I hope you have a pleasant morning today. _

_I am Philotes, Beatrice's mistress, and the one who is responsible to assist you and your friends in our new gameboard. _

_Our enemy shall commence their first move today; we cannot lose, now do we? _

_Do not worry; both of you are not alone. My pieces shall not be a bad one. They are trained, confident, and perfect. They should have been able to accompany you right now. _

_Dear miss Yukari Takeba, and droid Aigis, we shall send our move too for them. They are nothing but kittens to me. _

_The game will commence at 00:00. _

_At that time, the beloved one shall returned and assist you. So, no worries._

_Best regards,_

_Philotes _

Enraged by the letter, Yukari impetuously rip the paper into tiny thin pieces and stomped it, accidentally making banging noises. Aigis, who heard over the sound, running about to her and grabbed over her shoulders.

"Yukari-san, what's the matter?"

"It was the prank like yesterday! She--she-she is saying that the game will begin! That is BS!" Yukari angered that she said it under her breath. "I won't accept it! The sender must be send to police!"

"Yukari-san, please leave here and take your shower first; I'll handle it." Aigis informed. The brown-haired woman sighs and immediately walked approaching the bathroom.

Aigis noticed that the letter has ripped into pieces. With her work, she could solve the paper in a short time. She began to read the wrecked paper with her robotic scans.

"The beloved one shall resurrect and the game will commence…."

The droid began to notice the word at the seventh line. The beloved ones….Does that mean?

OoOoOoOo

Port Island Station, 07.45. A.M.

Her finger played briskly at the keyboard of her laptop, as she thinks of the teacher's anger if she did not do the homework. Time is as precious as ten tones of gold, that what she always taught by her rich father.

Yet, she had to waste her minutes for yelling at the stranger who casually touched her shoulder, as if they ever known each other.

"Hey! Watch your hand, silly!" Glared her, loudly. "Do you know who are you speaking into?"

She reveals her face from a hat that has been her mask since then, making a beauty appears before the man who approached her.

Katsumi Hideo, sixteen. She is a new student council president in Gekkoukan High School, a beauty and a preserved woman, yet she acted so bossy before the society, something that often angered her staffs.

"Oh, Miss! I'm sorry; I didn't intend to do something like that to you." A soft voice escaped from the mouth of the stranger. It was a highly similar voice to us, if you ever heard it.

"Hee? So that's just your reply!? "Katsumi began to stood, her feet staggered. "You owe me apologize, Mister!"

"Miss, you should be embarrassed by that demeanor." The man said sharply.

Katsumi gotten a little embarrassed as people starts gazed at her. She sits back at the bench, typing again.

"….So, what do you need?" She quickly covered her face with hat that she can hide her red face.

The man chuckled at her sarcastically. "Well then, I'm very new at here, so I don't know the direction in this town. Unfortunately, I'm searching for my friend…."he paused, to see the girl's agreement. Katsumi stopped typing to think of her decisions.

_If I take him out, maybe Sumiko and Akio Nii-san will have me spotted somewhere. _

_However, if I denied it, well…Maybe he is ready to RAPE me!_

Thinking for a minute, she began to type again. The stranger is still standing beside him, waiting for an answer. Tired, Katsumi nodded as an agreement….Or else that she did not waste her time.

"Well then, it is said that there's a newly-built apartment here….It is said that my friend lived there! Can you, minimally, tell me where it is?" He pleads.

"….Just get outta this station, go past that abandoned dorm, the Gekkoukan University, and you'll find it somewhere." She informed lazily.

"You're so helping Miss! You have my gratitude!" The man ended the conversation by bowing beside her.

"Huh, you still owe me apologize, and you decided to redeem it with your gratitude. Never mind, you're welcome- hey, tell me your name!" Katsumi said back.

"Oh, my name is Minato Arisato…I hope we can meet again!" The man, who his name revealed to be Minato, walked away and waved her a goodbye. Katsumi breathes a sigh of relief and finally continue typing. Ignorant is bliss, right?

Meanwhile, Minato stopped his step and began to look curiously on Katsumi.

_Is she the new piece? How interesting. _He whispered with a smirk. The atmosphere entire him seems darkened…

Indeed that he is one of the game players.

OoOoOoOo

The orange flash of sunset shines dazzlingly over the town. It was calming and beautiful.

However, will it be this peaceful anymore? These days will be never the same, maybe. It has commenced the game will begin at 00:00—possibly dark hour.

For Yukari, it means that it was despair in retrospect. It was as if no use for her to fight dark hour. There is no use for her to fight Nyx. She will appear when she is ready nor she is not, and the world will come to its end.

_It is useless for Minato too, right?_

As she heard a knock in her feet, Yukari knocked back to her senses. All of sudden, she is standing in Nagasaki shrine, all alone…..Or maybe not? Except Yukari, there is still one person left.

A fair-skinned young woman with a stunning beauty settled in one of the bench. Her black hair parted with the wind's breeze. She was looked more like a doll than a normal human was, regarding her dull, lightless eyes was. Rather than alone, Yukari prefer to sit along with her, even they will not exchange any words.

Curious, she began to look over her entire body. She wears an unusual medieval black dress, rather than a more modern dress.

"…Good afternoon," Yukari greeted politely, "What is your name?" Blue pair of eyes turned. She looked pale and a deep grief seen from her seemingly-made-from-porcelain face.

"….My name?" The blackhead smiled weakly.

"…Yes, your name. Let us introduce ourselves now, do we?" Yukari grinned cheerfully. "I'm in a bad mood now, so maybe it's better to have someone to share with."

The woman does not reply, but she just looked away from Yukari, much to the brown-haired woman's dismay. Sighing, Yukari stood from the bench and stepping away from her.

"….I, as a doll never had a name."

The woman finally speaks. Nevertheless, with that rare reply, it makes Yukari curious and suddenly dragged back to the bench.

"Hey, what in the world are you? Every human absolutely have their name!" Yukari glared to the woman.

"….Ever since I loses this game…..I was cursed." The woman has given the absolute answer, but it made Yukari more surprised. How did she know this? She thought.

"I am weak….He was more powerful than me. He consumed my power, everything….Now, all I have to do is die, am I?"

_Now, all I have to do is dying, am I?_

In instant, the word is stuck in my head.

The woman…She cannot be….

"…Nyx?"

OoOoOoO

The time has moving forward, quickly to 23.45.

Aigis closed the photo album she had read since afternoon. For some reason, she could not stop reading the book. And it is because she knows; the dark hour will come soon.

All she could do is letting the fate chose her own life. Isn't that obvious? If she does not fight the dark hour back, some risky circumstances will approach her soon.

It was helpless. Moreover, the time is now 23.56.

"_It's almost midnight," _She whispered as she stepped away from the bed, immediately removed her clothes which revealed her droid body.

"I must get Yukari-san back, or else she will be in danger." She said.

"But I shall accompany you."

Aigis suddenly heard a footstep behind her. It was definitely _that_ voice. The voice, which she misses dearly…. Those marks make her desired to turn to her backside. Navy hair, gray coat….It was….Him.

"Minato-san…Good…Night…"Aigis said, subsided.

"Nice to see you again, Aigis." Minato smiled softly. "Now, shall we begin?"

OoOoOoO

23.57…

23.58…

23.59…

00:00.

The people suddenly turned into coffins.

Blood shed everywhere on the street.

The moon is no longer shining pale as pearl; but it was a shivering green.

It is more terrifying when the Gekkoukan High School's look also changed…. The building suddenly moved by itself, making its own bizarre shape by moving the rooftop into a bigger and taller building.

Yukari, whom she is amazed, terrified, grieved by this obviousness in front of her own eyes, freezing in the place while she is stomped by the tower's shadow.

Lamented, she entered the tower; even her weapon now is just a metal pipe.

OoOoOoOo

"Impossible…Nyx is defeated?"

Minato nodded at the droid. He just explained the cause why he can back to the world without breaking the seal. Beside that he was resurrected by Elizabeth, there is another reason that he came back here. Nyx, the most powerful being in universe, defeated. Regarding this problem, she is out of the game, and turned human as the 'punishment; from now on, she must have her own way to keep her responsibilities, so that is the cause becoming a human is a punishment.

"Yes. It seems that this enemy is very powerful…We can't let our guard down, or else our life will be in danger." He said, slightly warning.

"I'm sure if we lend our hands together, he can be defeated with our own hands." Aigis steadied.

Minato nodded at the gynoid. He desired to finish this foolish game as fast as possible, too….Because what he wishes for is a peaceful humanity.

"Let's take down these shadows first; then we head to Tartarus, understand?"

"Understood." Aigis said steadily.

OoOoOoOo

With an extreme rage, she slaughtered the Shadows who always crawled down the floor like a worthless piece of junk. Some black blotch smeared her clothes, but she does not care. She only wanted to get out of this cursed time as fast as possible!

Yukari was in despair. Why did this have to happen? Which that sentence simply stuck in her head ever since her old school become this creepy tower.

So enraged, saddened that she did not look over the path. She stumbled disgracefully to the ground; her pipe thrown quite far from her location. With the damage still aching over her elbow, she looked above her. She surrounded. However, instead of panicking, she grinned proudly, knowing that this time she will definitely die. If she dies, then she does not have to fight the dark hour, and she will meet her father and Minato in heaven! She is now ready, closing her eyes that she will not feel the pain.

Nevertheless, nothing happened. There is no sound of her ripped skin. There is no sound of her crunching bone.

Instead, a black-haired girl with a Gothic Lolita fashioned dress is the one who faced her. Meanwhile, on the girl's back however, the shadows crawled quickly, seemingly to avoid her.

"Long time no see, Yukari-san," The girl giggled naughtily, "You've gotten a little mature by now."

OoOoOoOo

I'm back!! Yay! Sorry for the slowness of mine, but yeah, the exams are coming approximately 117 days left and I must study!! There is no much time left people! I don't want to be a fool, how dare you making Yuri-chan looked stupid?! Nyaa, besides that, I make some old character's appearance here…The human version of Nyx (she looked so weak! HAH! –Stabbed to death-) and that girl….Everyone who loves a trick, guess who that Gothic girl is! Was that Chidori or someone, hmm?

Hope we'll meet again~! R&R pleaase~!


End file.
